‘First Family of Hip Hop’ TV Series to Explore Inner Workings of Sugarhill Records

These days, rap records labels are a dime a dozen, with people like Jay Z, Diddy, Master P and Birdman becoming moguls off their brand. But it all started with Sylvia Robinson and Sugarhill Records. The first hip-hop label launched in 1979, the imprint helped kick off the careers of acts like The Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash, but has recently been stagnant. The attempted comeback of the label will be documented in a new drama-filled reality show titled, First Family of Hip Hop, which will air on Bravo.

The show will focus on Robinson’s son, Leland Robinson, Sr., and his relatives (Darnell Robinson, Rhondo Robinson, Jr., Antonio Jordan, Lady Luck, Somaya Reece, Eseni Ellington, and Leland Robinson, Jr.) as they attempt to bring the label back to prominence. But different ideas about how the imprint should be run leads to issues among the family. “All of my kids have ideas for the future of Sugarhill,” Leland says in the show’s preview, “but none of them have showed me that they can really run this empire.”

Clearly not everyone is on the same page. “Only one of us can be in charge,” says LeA Robinson. “Sugarhill was started by a woman, it’s destined to be run by a woman again.”

Sylvia Robinson, also known as “The Mother of Hip-Hop” passed away in 2011 leaving her family to carry on the legacy. Can they put things back together?

The show premieres on Jan. 15 at 9 p.m.

Check out a preview of First Family of Hip Hop, above.

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